The Northern Lights will be so impressive tonight that they could even be seen over parts of southern England

A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness observed near the sun’s surface - these are linked to Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) which, in turn, generate wonderful Northern Lights displays.

Alistair McLean, Managing Director of The Aurora Zone said: “Following the magnitude of the recent solar flare, we are anticipating widespread Aurora storms.

“The CMEs’ arrival is expected to trigger a G3 magnetic storm in the atmosphere which, in turn, will create more prolific Northern Lights displays in northern territories and maybe some sightings in areas well beyond the usual boundaries.

“It is, therefore, a possibility that the Northern Lights could even be viewed in Southern England. Both the Space Weather Prediction Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)believe outstanding displays will occur tonight.”

Last night, parts of the UK were already witnessing displays of the Northern Lights as far south as Newcastle.

Scientists are hoping to see the same level of activity tonight in certain areas.